Roke Manor Research (Roke) is set to supply integrated artificial intelligence (AI) software to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

This follows Dstl awarding a contract for a third phase of a £1m investment in threat detection software that is designed to help the Royal Navy handle the growing complexity of situations.

The machine situational awareness software, named STARTLE, continuously monitors and evaluates potential threats using a combination of artificial intelligence techniques.

“Traditional methods of processing data can be inefficient so we have looked at the human brain’s tried and tested means of detecting and assessing threats to help us design a better way to do it. The techniques have the potential to benefit the Royal Navy,” said Mike Hook, lead software architect on STARTLE at Roke.

STARTLE is inspired by the way the brain works as it matches the mammalian conditioned-fear response mechanism.

Rapidly detecting and assessing potential threats, the software significantly augments human operator situational awareness in complex environments.

In complex environments, it could allow the command team to make better informed decisions faster, and this could be the difference between success and failure.

By Alice Mason

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